So now "The Amazing Race" is down to three teams. Sunday, the standard bickering-couple-testing-their-relationship, Nate and Jen got the boot even though they probably were the strongest team overall that was left.

I'd be a complete liar if I denied feeling schadenfreude in a big way. But talking to the two of them on the phone, both of them were very gracious and caring. Here's what they had to say about the Race, their relationship and each other.

MSN: Nate and Jen, I don't know what to say, you guys. You seemed like you were going to get into the finals and it just didn't happen for you.

Nate: No, unfortunately it didn't. We definitely thought when we were in the final four there was no way we're not making the final three. So it was a pretty big shock to us, and it was very disappointing.

MSN: What do you think was your downfall ultimately?

Nate: Jen and I didn't show the proper teamwork a lot of the time and we didn't communicate well with each other. I think in the end it may have costed us.

MSN: Jen, what's your take?

Jen: My take is everything Nate just mentioned but also the fact of the matter is we arrive at the train station at 7:30 when there was a train taking off right at 7:36. We could have gotten on that train but we didn't. We freaked out. We panicked and we weren't thinking clearly. And also, we ended up taking the subway and that was a bad direction to go. It was a maze down there. We got really lost. We trusted one of the locals because we said, "How can we get there quickest, a taxi or subway?" And she told us the subway would be much quicker because it's really trafficky.

MSN: Going back to your decision to be on the Race in the first place, as I remember you wanted to test your relationship. What's the verdict?

Nate: Well, we definitely tested our relationship in a lot of areas. After the Race was done, Jen and I had no idea what we were going to do. But now, we're happy to say we are together. We're doing better than we've ever done, and the Race was the biggest part of the experience that we ever could have had. We learned a lot about ourselves and we matured a lot and we're very thankful for the experience.

MSN: What was the biggest lesson about yourselves that the Race taught you?

Nate: For me, honestly, it'd have to be patience. I was very impatient and I didn't communicate well when I was all stressed out. To be in a relationship, especially with a woman like Jennifer, who's a tester, who likes to test a lot, you have to be patient and step back and let her do her own thing sometimes.

Jen: For me, I would definitely say acting on impulse. I need to think about what I say before I talk, look at the situation, analyze it, try to see a positive outcome before I even open my mouth.

MSN: I guess I should say congratulations that you're still together. Do you know when you might be taking the next step in your relationship?

Nate: Right now, I think we're still watching the episodes opened some wounds a little bit. We're still moving forward and we're still working on each other. I really can't answer that right now. We're just doing good right now and we're going to leave it at that.

MSN: How hard is it to watch some of these episodes and relive them?

Jen: It's really hard for me because the way the edits are coming out I'm looking like this mouthy, bitchy firecracker in this relationship

Nate: Which she is.

Jen: I am. But there was a lot of provoking. For me, it was a real eye-opener. It's been hard. There's been a lot of negativity I've had to deal with, with people not talking about the nice things about me. But I'm not too worried about that, because if people know me, they know I have the biggest heart in the world.

MSN: What do you think "The Amazing Race" showed about you that doesn't meet the real you?

Nate: Sometimes "The Amazing Race" made me look like a bumbling idiot sometimes, which I'm definitely not. We're very intelligent people. But when you're stressed out, you don't make good decisions. People forget you're in foreign countries, and you don't speak the language, and you're hungry and tired and you don't even know what's going on. And then when you're supposed to make decisions, a lot of times you're not going to make the right one. So that's one thing. It makes people look stupid, even though it's in the most intense situation anyone could be in.

MSN: What about you, Jen?

Jen: Overall, I think they portrayed me as competitive, fierce, loud person, which is very accurate because I am very competitive and loud. But the only thing that disappointed me is I'm funny and very nice. I'm very loving, and I wish they would have portrayed more of the nicer sides of me. And also too, I love Nate. I'm not always that mean to him, and they only ever showed me being mean and aggressive and fighting against him, and that wasn't the case all the time at all.

MSN: They did give you that one moment at the end when you jumped on Nate. That seemed like a sweet farewell to you.

Jen: That's how we are.

Nate: We saw that and we were very pleased. We didn't really know what to expect, because you never really do anyways. But having that kind of farewell when we got to come together and hug it out, I was very pleased with it.

MSN: What have your friends and family said watching this with you?

Jen: They are so happy. It's just smiles from ear to ear on all of our friends and family. They're living it up. They're loving it. They're just telling so many people, being like, "Oh my son or my daughter or my friend is..." It's a great experience not just for Nate and I but for our friends and family too. It's just been such a good bonding experience that I feel like I've gotten so much closer to Nate's family through this whole thing too. And vice versa with Nate and my family. It's just been great overall. We feel so lucky.

Nate: The thing is, they knew Jen and I were crazy before the whole thing started. So watching it on TV wasn't that big a surprise.

MSN: So if you had it to do all over again, would you work on your relationship through "The Amazing Race" or would you just go to therapy or something?

Nate: I definitely would do "The Amazing Race" again in a heartbeat. Jen and I, we're extremists. That's just who we are. We can't hide it. We're loud, we're vocal, we're competitive, we're passionate. "The Amazing Race" is right up our alley and we enjoyed every second of it.

Jen: I think we know now where to and not to step on each other's toes and take the lead. I think we learned that about each other, big time. So we would be a lot more successful.

MSN: Is it fair to say you guys were the quote-unquote villains of this race, and if so, how do you feel about that sort of characterization?

Nate: I like it. We might have been the villains, but every story needs a villain. If Jen and I were the villains, I hope we did a good job. [Jen and Nate laugh]

Jen: That's classic.

Nate: We are who we are.

Jen: We're not really villains in real life. That's why it's hilarious. People are getting a kick out of how they're portraying me and Nate. It's all fun and games.

Nate: We're taking it all in stride. If we were going to worry about it, we'd never move forward.

MSN: I have to say I started rooting against you when you came in second to Hendekea and Azaria, and Jen something like, "They've already been in first and now it's our turn." What were you thinking about when you said that, Jen?

Jen: Well, Nate really wanted to answer that question. (Laughs). First of all, that was completely ill-perceived, I would say. I did not mean for them to step aside, and on the show "The Amazing Race" let us walk on the mat and let us get first place. That's not what I was intending. I'm just so competitive that my emotions lashed out. They had just won, what, the last two or three prior legs consecutively in a row. I was like, "Give us a break!"

Nate: We all think it. Jen says it. (Laughs) If you were in that situation, seeing another team win, you might think, "God, why can't we win?" Jen's going to say it instead of just thinking it.

Jen: We're good friends with them now. It was totally a one-minute thing. I gave Hendekea a big hug afterward.

MSN: How does it feel that you guys were toward the front of the pack constantly, but you never quite made it into first?

Nate: That was one of the most discouraging things for Jen and I because we were so close so many times and we were chasing the lead and first place. The worst thing was, every time we were in the front, a different team was ahead of us. We knew that everyone else had a chance to win besides Jen and I. But we were still in the Race and we were still going forward so we couldn't be that upset. But then we'd ask a team, "What'd you guys win?" or "What happened?" they'd say "A trip to Cancun." Over a matter of minutes they got to go to a cool place. It was a pretty hard thing.

MSN: What if anything would you change about how you did the Race?

Nate: Our communication. I think everyone can see that we needed to communicate better. I'd say not to put so much stress on ourselves, let things come more naturally to us and not force things. A lot of times we'd force situations and we got involved in things we shouldn't have. I think we had to trust each other more too. We would have come out a lot better in our relationship if we had put more faith in each other to come to correct decisions.

MSN: What advice would you give to aspiring Race competitors?

Nate: Don't do it. No, I'm just kidding. Anyone in a relationship, just beware that it's very hard. It's an experience you'll never forget. Jen and I thankfully, we're strong people and we made it through. But it could be a lot for some people and do it in. It really does test your relationship. Jen and I almost lost each other over "The Amazing Race." Some people might never have gotten back together. It really does test your relationship to the max.

MSN: Were there times when you basically said "We're done," to yourself or the other partner?

Nate: There were plenty of times when we thought we were done.

Jen: Never again. Never.

MSN: How did you come back from that?

Jen: When we got back, we took some time away from each other, just a week and just reflected on the experience and calmed down. I don't know if you know this, but during the Race, we have to be within 20 feet of each other the entire time. So there was no cooling off time. There was no alone time to just reflect and regroup and move on. So it was really good for us. We just realized that Nate and I can't live without each other. We have some deep-down bond where we're connected for life.

MSN: Why don't you give me your impressions of the three remaining teams?

Nate: At the beginning of the season, I don't think anybody would have thought Ron and Chris and Nick and Don would be in the final three. TK and Rachel, yeah, but Nick and Don and Ron and Chris are definitely sleepers.

Jen: We were definitely rooting for one of those teams to win.

MSN: Can you give us any hint as to what to expect in the final episode without giving too much away?

The Amazing Race: Are Nate and Jen Still Together? by Rochell D. Thomas

Jen and Nate, The Amazing Race When they weren't fighting each other, Jennifer Parker and Nathan Hagstrom fought hard to stay in The Amazing Race 12. But, alas, luck would not have it and Taiwan was their last stop. They were eliminated after they took a local resident's advice that taking a subway would be faster than dealing with traffic in a cab. That decision dropped like a nail in the coffin of their nearly three-year relationship. Why? Read on. (Amazing Race's season finale airs Sunday at 8 pm/ET on CBS.) TVGuide.com: Ousted on your birthday. Ouch. Did you get to celebrate in any way?Jen: Once we got back we went out with family. But being in Taipei, Taiwan, that was enough for me.

TVGuide.com: Speaking of Taipei, you two know Taiwan and Thailand are two different countries, right?Nate: Oh. Yeah. [Laughs] On the show I said, "I like Thai food" and my mind obviously wasn't thinking that I was in Taiwan. I was just kind of spaced. I definitely know Taiwan is different from Thailand.Jen: You know I didn't even realize that until just now. [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: The big question: Are you two still together?Nate: After the race we actually did take a few days apart to just kind of cool our heads. Then we put things in perspective and we realized that we do love each other a lot. So we are still together. We don't live together. But we're still very much an exclusive couple.

TVGuide.com: How'd you make that happen?Nate: It was the bumpiest ride we've ever been on in our life. But to tell you the truth, we've learned so much about ourselves individually and what we really want.Jen: And how to handle certain situations. Because we pretty much came across any type of situation any couple will ever be in. Now, being back home, everything's so easy.Nate: We're changed people.

TVGuide.com: I hope so, Nate. Because you said some horrible things to Jen. You told her you couldn't stand her. And you said it with venom. You also said, "You're the worst person I ever met."Nate: I meant, you're the worst person at this. At what we were doing.

TVGuide.com: And when you called her the B-word?Nate: That's the one that I'm most ashamed of. And, I admit it. I made mistakes. I do love Jen and I told her after everything that I genuinely was sorry.

TVGuide.com: What did your mother say to you after she saw the way you talked to Jen?Nate: My mom laughed. My parents know us both quite well. And anyone who knows us knows we're both people who say things without thinking all the time. Jen: We forget that, to other people, it might sound a little inappropriate or vulgar. But I think that's what Nate and I take out of this race. "Whoa. We need to watch what we say." We've got to imagine the impact it's leaving.

TVGuide.com: In your last episode, Jen said, "I want to rip the dreads out of his," meaning T.K.'s, "head." What did he ever do to you?Jen: I'm going to choose not to speak about that.

TVGuide.com: Wow. What happen off-camera?Jen: Nothing happened off camera at all.Nate: Jen speaks her mind. And we were not happy to see T.K. and Rachel. But we didn't hate T.K. and Rachel for who they were. We just hated them for where they were in the race. We would have disliked any team in their shoes. It wasn't personal.

TVGuide.com: Looking back it's all so foggy. Did you two ever win a leg?Nate: We came close numerous times. But we didn't win one leg or one prize the whole time.

TVGuide.com: Oh, wait. You came in second to Azaria and Hendekea. It's coming back now. The look on your face. What did you expect — that they were going to let you go ahead of them?Jen: Everyone keeps saying that. They had just won the three legs. And I was disappointed like, "Gosh, we were right there." I wasn't like, "Come on guys, let us go first. " I don't know why it came about that way.

TVGuide.com: How happy were you when Kynt and Vyxsin did not U-turn you?Nate: We thought Nick and Don had U-turned Kynt and Vyxsin. We didn't even understand it. We were like, "What?" "Huh?" Jen: Because when we were making the flower garlands, we left before Kynt and Vyxsin were even halfway done. And then when we got there we were so confused that they could have possibly beaten us. Our taxi driver must have gotten lost.

TVGuide.com: Speaking of taxis, Jen, what was it like to drive in Japan?Jen: Nerve-racking. Looking up and seeing symbols and not any type of language was mind-boggling. It was very difficult to navigate and I got out seven or eight times to ask people on the side of the road [for directions]. Hardly anybody there spoke any English. Nate: Jen underestimates herself. Because she is not afraid to speak to people, she'll ask for directions, say anything to anybody no matter who it is. I think she's best at doing those kind of things. She may not think so, but she is. Jen: Thanks, Nate.

TVGuide.com: In Africa, you milked a camel and delivered a goat. Back in Ireland, you two yelled at your donkey so strongly it started to shake. What have you learned about animals on this race? Nate: That we need to be more patient. Animals are... how do I say this? Animals. They do what they do. They're going to react to how you treat them. Regarding the donkey....Jen: We didn't treat the donkey that bad. And I have to add that we were running along fine with our donkey until Azaria and Hendekea came running by. They were slapping their donkey on the side with the clue. And theirs was going so much faster that I thought, "That's such a good idea." So I grabbed my clue and started smacking our donkey's butt and...Nate: ... he stopped.Jen: Four hours later, he moved. So imagine: We were out there for four hours trying to get that donkey to move.Nate: Jen was shedding tears left and right.

TVGuide.com: What happened in Croatia when you were penalized for bumming a ride to the pit stop? Did you misread the clue?Nate: Actually you can't take a private civilian's car. You have to take a public form of transportation. That's a rule. But we were in such a rush. And we wanted to finish first.Jen: And after asking that whole line of white Mercedes taxis! We went to six cars. But no one would take us. The first guy who told us no was talking to the other guys saying, "Don't let them in."

TVGuide.com: Why, were you that wet and smelly?Nate: I can't tell you the answer. But it cost us first place. So it was very aggravating.

TVGuide.com: You forgot to take public transportation in Croatia but in Taipei you took the subway when you could have hailed a cab. Why?Nate: You have to trust the locals. It's their city. It was a gamble that could have paid off. But it didn't.

TVGuide.com: Did you get lost?Jen: No, it was really just a much slower route because there wasn't one subway directly there. We had to get out and change. And it was like a big maze underground — red line, green line, blue line, the A1.

TVGuide.com: Did you realize at that point that you'd been eliminated?Both: Yeah.Jen: I felt it in my heart and my gut. It was not a good feeling.

TVGuide.com: Then let's move to a happy thought: Which was your favorite leg?Nate: Italy. Because it was the smoothest and we got to do a lot and the tasks were pretty cool.Jen: I was just going to say Italy, too. Not that I didn't respect Nate before Italy, but it made me respect him more. We hadn't slept in two days. Then we had to drive five and a half hours in the middle of the night, up and down these windy mountain roads with a stick-shift car. Nate pulled through. I was falling asleep in the back while trying to navigate. But he was trooper. I was really impressed with him. Good job.

TVGuide.com: Oh, now you're nice to each other. Better late than never.Jen: We were nice to each other during the race. Nate: More than you would think.Jen: A little bit. Once.

AMAZING RACE Contestants Host Garage Sale (Fountain Valley)Come by this Saturday June 28th for a Garage Sale..... Meet Jen and Nate from CBS's Season 12 of the Amazing Race. Jen and Nate are selling most of there belongings and using the proceeds to build a clothing line to benefit unfortunate Families in need from countries traveled to all over the world on the show.

Here is a little update on Nate/Jen...I asked what they had been up to since she finished school this winter?

Quote

"Its been great, just working really hard on my clothing line Making it recession proof! haha. Nate is playing pro beach volleyball, I'm still dancing for a semi pro NBA team. the Anaheim arsenals.Thanks for asking!

Thanks for sharing Jen!

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